TomTom 1.3 for the iPhone is a useful GPS navigation app that, with each version upgrade, comes closer and closer to a standalone PND.

Looking to replace an outdated GPS device with an iPhone app that doesn't compromise on features? TomTom's latest U.S. and Canada app, now at version 1.3, offers smooth POI search, robust navigation, and a new Google search mode. It also works almost identically to the company's various standalone GPS devices like the TomTom One 140-S ($199.95, ) and the TomTom XXL 540-S ($199.00-$299.95, ). At a reduced price of $69.99, it's a good buy, and its flexibility makes it our new Editor's Choice for iPhone navigation software.

Similar Products

New Features, Traffic Module, and Optional Car Kit
Since the original launch of version 1.0, TomTom has upgraded the app considerably. The company has improved navigation accuracy, added alerts for exceeding road speed limits, and integrated navigation with the iPhone's address book. TomTom also added text-to-speech, which really should have been there at launch, plus advanced lane guidance graphics in both portrait and landscape mode. The app now features IQ Routes, which pull in customer data in order to optimize navigation given historical route time data.

The latest version 1.3 adds even more features. You can now run Google Local searches from within the app, and it also automatically switches between day and night modes. You can also add in locations from Web sites or other apps; you can then navigate to one immediately, or save it as a favorite. The app will now play music during navigation; it fades the level down to issue voice prompts when necessary, and then fade it back up again, all without losing track of the current route. Finally, the app adds real-time "HD traffic" capability, but at an extra cost: $19.99 per year, via an in-app purchase. The traffic module updates information every three minutes, displays delays as they appear, and offers automatic re-routing.

TomTom has also fiddled with the app's pricing. The main U.S. and Canada version costs $69.99. Back in December, TomTom unveiled a lower cost, U.S.-only app for $49.99, but later raised the price to $59.99. Still, it's a good buy if you're not planning to visit Canada. TomTom also offers a car kit, which we didn't have on hand for the review. But at $129, it's an expensive proposition; that price even exceeds the cost of some of the company's basic, self-contained PNDs like the $119 TomTom Ease ($119, ).

POI Search, Navigation Performance, and Conclusions
For this review, I tested TomTom 1.3 on an iPhone 3GS ($199-$299, ). As with prior versions of this program, POI searches were easy to execute and ran smoothly. The new Google search feature also worked well, and offered additional assurance against TomTom's POI database in case it misses something. Plus, TomTom's Google Search also worked more reliably than Navigon MobileNavigator 1.4.0's ($79.99, ) during the review.

The best thing about TomTom's iPhone app has always been that it works just like the company's standalone PNDs. That's even truer with the latest version; the interface almost disappears, letting you focus on finding destinations. The display during navigation is very informative. The bottom bar displays the remaining trip distance, current speed, speed limit, distance to the next turn, time remaining, and estimated time of arrival.

Map graphics were smoothly animated, but looked Spartan, with jagged road lines; almost all competing apps have nicer looking map modes. On the plus side, fonts were smooth and sharp in both portrait and landscape mode. You also can pinch zoom the map in and out. The app displayed 3D lane assistance to help with complex interchanges, and it popped up the correct speed limit for almost all highways and secondary roads I drove on.

In a series of tests, the app found all of my usual destinations and POIs with few issues. Route recalculations were fast as well, and since the app stores maps locally, it doesn't depend on cellular coverage during navigation. Voice prompts were always just right for the occasion, with a clear tone and properly pronounced street and exit names.

TomTom replaces Navigon MobileNavigator as our EC for iPhone nav software, but that's not a knock on the excellent MobileNavigator. Navigon's product looks nicer in transit and offers sharp lane assistance graphics; it just lacks TomTom's IQ Routes and smoother POI search. AT&T Navigator 1.5i ($9.99, ) also offers well-organized POI searches and accurate routing. But that app is oddly uninformative during navigation, relies too heavily on cellular signal, and its subscription-based pricing is expensive. Finally, Magellan RoadMate 2010 ($129.99, ) has the prettiest interface of the group, plus big finger-friendly icons and a roomy on-screen QWERTY keyboard, but it isn't quite as powerful as TomTom 1.3 once on the road. All told, TomTom's latest iPhone app is an excellent valueparticularly if you're already familiar with TomTom's user interface from a standalone PND.

About the Author

Jamie Lendino is the Editor-in-Chief of ExtremeTech.com, and has written for PCMag.com and the print magazine since 2005. Recently, Jamie ran the consumer electronics and mobile teams at PCMag, and before that, he was the Editor-in-Chief of Smart Device Central, PCMag's dedicated smartphone site, for its entire three-year run from 2006 to 2009. Pri... See Full Bio

Bottom Line: Upgrading from McAfee Internet Security to McAfee Total Protection gets you a file encryption utility and extra licenses for the password manager. Unless you need those features, you may be better off with McAfee AntiVirus Plus.

TomTom 1.3 (iPhone OS)

TomTom 1.3 (iPhone OS)

Get Our Best Stories!

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.